People Operations Specialist

What You’ll Do

Leaves of Absence

• Serve as the primary administrator and point of contact for all employee leaves of absence, including FMLA, ADA, state-mandated leave, personal leave, and military leave
• Manage the end-to-end LOA process: intake, documentation, certification tracking, communication with the employee and their manager, return-to-work coordination, and record keeping
• Ensure LOA administration is compliant with applicable federal, state, and local law across all jurisdictions where TopDog Law operates
• Partner with payroll and benefits to ensure accurate continuation and tracking during leave
• Maintain clear, organized records and keep managers informed throughout the process without violating employee privacy

Employee Relations

• Serve as the first point of contact for employee questions, concerns, and issues, handling them with professionalism, discretion, and good judgment
• Conduct or support investigations into employee complaints, policy violations, and workplace concerns in partnership with the Director of People Operations
• Document employee relations matters thoroughly and maintain accurate, organized case records
• Help managers navigate difficult conversations, performance concerns, and team conflicts with clear guidance and consistent process
• Identify patterns or recurring issues and escalate appropriately to the Director of People Operations

Compliance

• Ensure compliance with employment law, labor regulations, and requirements across all states and jurisdictions where the firm operates
• Maintain and update employee handbooks, policies, and required postings as laws change
• Administer required compliance training and track completion
• Support audits, reporting requirements, and regulatory filings
• Flag potential compliance risks to the Director of People Operations proactively

Manager Enablement

• Be an operational business partner managers rely on for day-to-day guidance on people issues, policy questions, and employee management
• Provide managers with clear, practical support on performance documentation, disciplinary process, accommodations, and employee concerns
• Help managers follow consistent, compliant processes so that People Operations policies are applied fairly and uniformly across the firm
• Work proactively with managers to surface and address people risk, retention risk, and performance concerns before they escalate
• Develop and maintain manager-facing resources such as guides, templates, and checklists that make processes easier to navigate

Process Creation & Continuous Improvement

• Document, standardize, and improve People Operations processes so they run reliably and consistently without requiring constant oversight
• Identify gaps in current workflows and propose practical solutions
• Build and maintain templates, checklists, SOPs, and reference guides that support the team and reduce repeated effort
• Support the Director of People Operations to implement new processes, tools, or programs as the firm scales

Core HR Operations

• Administer HRIS (Rippling) including employee records, lifecycle updates, data integrity, and reporting
• Support benefits administration and employee questions about coverage
• Support payroll processing accuracy and coordinate with payroll on employee changes, leave tracking, and corrections
• Partner with the People Operations Coordinator in Guatemala on shared workflows and recordkeeping
• Maintain organized, audit-ready files and documentation
• Coordinate with the People Coordinator on the TA team to ensure smooth onboarding transitions for all new hires

Onboarding

• Own the pre-event onboarding experience for new hires who join before the monthly New Hire Day 1 event; host a dedicated onboarding call to bridge the gap and ensure no one starts without proper orientation
• Cover culture, values, and company vision so new hires understand who we are and what we’re building before their first day in role
• Walk new hires through their benefits, enrollment windows, and how to get questions answered
• Introduce the People tech stack new hires will use regularly, including Rippling, Ninety, Nectar, and any other core tools, so they feel equipped and not overwhelmed
• Continuously refine the onboarding call experience as the firm scales, the tech stack evolves, and new needs emerge

Other Duties as Assigned

• Support additional People Operations projects, initiatives, and priorities as directed by the Director of People Operations; this role operates in a growing, evolving environment and flexibility is part of the job

How This Role Drives the Business

The work this role does every day has a direct impact on the health and performance of the organization:

• Compliant, well-administered leaves protect the firm from legal exposure and ensure employees are treated fairly
• Consistent employee relations handling protects culture and reduces liability
• Manager enablement makes teams more effective and reduces avoidable people problems
• Clean processes and reliable operations give the leadership team confidence in the foundation
• Strong execution supports retention and reinforces that TopDog Law is a well-run, trustworthy place to work

What Success Looks Like

Within your first 6–12 months, success in this role looks like:

• Leaves of absence are handled end-to-end with accuracy, timeliness, and zero compliance gaps
• Employee relations matters are documented, handled consistently, and resolved or escalated appropriately
• Managers know exactly how to engage People Operations and feel supported
• Processes are documented and repeatable
• Compliance obligations are met cleanly across all active jurisdictions
• HRIS records are accurate, up to date, and audit-ready
• The Director of People Operations is freed from routine administration and can focus on higher-level priorities

Qualifications

Required

• 5+ years of hands-on experience with meaningful ownership of functional People Ops work
• Direct experience administering leaves of absence including FMLA, ADA, and state leave laws
• Experience handling employee relations matters including investigations, documentation, and manager guidance
• Working knowledge of employment law and compliance requirements across multiple states
• Track record of building, documenting, and improving processes and workflows
• Strong judgment, discretion, and ability to handle sensitive matters professionally
• Highly organized with excellent attention to detail and follow-through
• Clear, professional written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to manage a varied workload, prioritize effectively, execute with speed, and take initiative

Nice to Have

• Experience with Rippling or similar HRIS and workflow automation platforms
• Experience in legal, professional services, or client-centric organizations
• Experience supporting distributed or remote teams
• Comfort with ambiguity and evolving systems in a fast-growing environment
• Strong communication skills—written and verbal
• Ability to think critically, prioritize effectively, and execute with speed

About TopDog Law

TopDog Law is a nationally scaling, fully-integrated, personal injury law firm built for impact, excellence, and growth. We own the client experience end-to-end, from marketing and intake through litigation, because we believe how we do the work matters just as much as what we achieve.

We are building a high-performance, high-trust, no-ego culture where talented people do meaningful work, grow quickly, and take pride in what they build together. This is not a legacy law firm. This is a rocket ship, and we’re assembling the team that will take it to the next level.

If you thrive in fast-moving environments, love taking ownership and being held accountable, and want to be part of something you can help shape, not just maintain, you’ll feel right at home here.